Minneapolis’ park system has it roots in the City Beautiful and Garden City movements of the late 1800s. At that time and in retaliation to the industrial revolution, city planning emerged as a profession to address how to separate land uses and to create a more natural and desirable urban environment. It was at this time when men such as Frederick Olmsted and Daniel Burnham were designing cities of the future that would grow from green tree-lined boulevards with parks and greenways sheltering new single-family neighborhoods from undesirable industrial uses.

In the 1880s, Minneapolis’ newly formed and independent Board of Park Commissioner (now Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board) hired Olmsted-protégé Horace W.S. Cleveland to design a system of interconnected parks and greenways for areas of passive recreation. Cleveland’s Grand Rounds system is the jewel of the city connecting its rich natural resources of lake, rivers and creeks with its parks and parkways. This National Scenic Byway has almost 44 miles of paved off-street bicycle and pedestrian paths. As bicycling moved from a form of transportation (1880s) to a recreational pass-time (1950s) back to a form of transportation (late 1970s), Minneapolis was well positioned to expand into an extensive bicycle system building off the foresight of the City’s fathers and mothers.

The Minneapolis Grand Rounds is rich with both passive and active recreation opportunities. From the city’s Northside, the system begins at the confluence of Mississippi River and Shingle Creek. Moving west the system travels along one of only a few lengths that are not adjacent to water, Victory Memorial Drive. This four-mile reach of symmetrically lined trees that form the northwest corner of the Rounds, is a living memorial to the lives lost in World War I from Hennepin County. Each trees is alongside a marker of a soldier lost in that bloody conflict. The Drive, as locals refer to it, features a 50-foot flagpole at the turn, with memorials to others lost is more recent conflicts. Abraham Lincoln keeps watch on the flag from a small grove nearby. The Park Board resurfaced the Drive’s trails last year for a very smooth ride.

From the southern border of Victory Drive, the Grand Rounds seamlessly flow into Theodore Wirth Park. If Minneapolis was not blessed with its many lakes, creeks, and rivers the real estate surrounding this magnificent park would be the highest priced and most desirable in the City. With our high standards and lush amenities, great reasonably priced neighborhoods circle this 500-acre park. Wirth Park is the namesake of the most influential and longest serving of Minneapolis’ Park Superintendents. This park is 60 percent the size of New York’s Central Park. Riding on the recently resurfaced paths will take you past the Bassett’s Creek, a Swiss Chalet, two golf courses, a lake, a couple ponds, a quaking bog, a flower garden, and across the 45th parallel. Theodore Wirth Park is home to the City’s only sanctioned off-road bikeways for interested trail users.

Riding along Victory Memorial Drive and through Theodore Wirth Park is simply a quarter of the system. The Minneapolis Park system is more that 6,000 acres of land and water with over 150 individual parks.
At the south end of Wirth Park, a pass over an interstate bridge brings riders into the Chain of Lake, the system’s crown jewel (we are the City of Lakes for a reason). Moving into this area also bring riders to the intersection of the elaborate rail-trail system that complements the Grand Rounds. In the third and fourth parts of this series, I will explore this nationally recognized trail system, hit the lakes, the Minnehaha Creek and some simple steps to begin to ride.

Until then, take advantage of National Bike Month and ride. For those who have not, this is your year to bike to work or school. That day is May 19th, email motorman if you need some travel pointers or advice on routes (regardless of your hometown). It is a great vehicle to bring you forward and keep you healthy.

Happy riding!

I have a colleague from the Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee, on which I serve, that created a mission statement for an education and promotion campaign we discussed five years ago. Unfortunately, this effort stalled. Nonetheless, this statement is printed on a strip of paper hanging prominently on my refrigerator. It reads, “Minneapolis; Best bicycling city in the USA. Any destination is a quick, safe, and pleasant bike ride – year-round.” A few weeks ago when the weather started to turn I thought about the system we have here in the city, and I am realizing what a world-class system it is. For those who are keeping score the city is not a designated LAB Bicycle Friendly Community, but I believe that is from lack of trying.

On my first long ride of the season, I decided to revisit the miles of bikeways that circle and dissect the city. It is a system that, in effect, lowers the bar for those who wish to start biking but are hesitant to battle vehicle traffic. Here in Minneapolis, we have supported a system that strives for a bike trail within a mile of any home and at least an on-road bike lane within a half-mile. This coverage of bikeways makes it very easy for a novice to find a sanctuary for riding so that he or she can improve on his or her skill and confidence. And these amenities are working.

As of the 2000 Census Supplementary Survey, Minneapolis had the highest mode share for bicycle commuters in the country. Even though this is only 2.63 percent of all commuters in Minneapolis (see chart), we were ahead of such cities as Sacramento (2.59 percent mode share), Portland, OR (2.55), Tucson (2.22), Fresno (1.96) and Tampa (1.96). Now I have not been to all of these cities in January, but I will predict that Minneapolis is colder and snowier. By contrast, Saint Paul, our twin to the east ranked 19th at 0.69 percent. Saint Paul’s bicycle system is not as developed and probably a truer projection of a typical mode share for a northern city.

Given the climate and the stark difference in the percentage of bicyclist that commute compared to that of our closest neighbor, the bicycle system has a tremendous impact on how we travel. Since the early 1990s, Minneapolis has worked tirelessly to build bicycle infrastructure. We have miles of rail-trails, parkways, and bicycle lanes criss-crossing the city taking users from neighborhood to neighborhood. In a recent study from the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota, Kevin Krizek and Gary Barnes surmise that the riders are not only more likely to cycle if there are facilities for them to use, but they will choose to take a longer route to work to use these bicycle facilities.

From the seasoned bicycle commuter’s perspective, these facilities have made my travels more enjoyable many times over and I will continue to push for additions, so Minneapolis will continue to mind the gaps in the system. However at the beginning of the 2006 season, a milestone for motorman – the tenth anniversary of my bicycle commuting start, I have to reflect on the tremendous progress. We here in Minneapolis, are fortunate to have driven public works staff and a committed city government dedicated to bikeways working closely with our biggest funder – the Federal Government. Minneapolis is fortunate to have the consummate leader-by-example in Congress, the Honorable Martin Olav Sabo, representing us in D.C. for the past three decades, and bicycling best friend, the Honorable James Oberstar, to hail from the land of 10,000 lakes and representing Minnesota’s eight district. These two are big reasons for the facilities that have supported the 2.63 percent and growing. Congress member Sabo recently announced his retirement, THANK YOU MR. SABO, YOU CANNOT BE REPLACED AND YOU WILL BE MISSED! Congress member Oberstar recently secured $25 million for a non-motorized 4-year pilot program. This will continue to increase Minneapolis’ bicycle capacity.

As a celebration of the Minneapolis bicycle system I will chronicle this year’s first tour of the bicycle system (a 50+ mile loop) as the backdrop for a exploration of this wonderful bicycle system. I will showcase how is so simple to use that the commuter share will continue to grow regardless of the wind chill. I even go out of the city to spotlight the our famous western suburban rail-trail system and to the foundations of Saint Paul’s bikeways. Check back for the last three parts of this series over the next two weeks.

In the meantime, motorman says ride, baby!

I hope everyone is enjoying the spring and riding a lot. I for one am on my summer bike far more often than in years past. The weather here in the Minneapolis has been outstanding. I am on track to log in 500 miles for the last three weeks of the month.

The ability to be out has pulled me away from writing, but rest assured I am working on my ode to Bike Month with a three or four part series on why Minneapolis is one of the best cities to commute (no mater what your skill level). I was able to do a 50-mile loop (with one minor gap) without leaving the friendly confines of the bike path or a bike lane.

I hope you’re having a great spring and that the miles are clicking by.

Indeed, spring is upon us here in the midwest. As you know I had to put down the winter bike last week, and the official first sign of spring, not spotting the robin, rather the first puncture of the year occurred. On my side of town it is a peculiar tradition that when one has finished a beverage in a glass container that the appropriate disposal method is to hurl it toward the street at a velocity necessary for the container to shatter. This practice leads to an inordinate amount of glass shards on the roadway and the snowmelt reveals their collection along the gutters. I believe it is a combination of higher tire pressure and my not ready for summer sprints physique that leads to changing as many as three punctures a week.

Unfortunately this year’s passage into the season is not as simple as times past. This year, I must be carrying a few extra potato chips because I cracked the rim. What pains me the most is that this is the very time that 95 percent of the bicycling public (including passive rec riders) has their rides in the shop for repair and tuning. Since I cannot build a wheel myself, I have to wait a full week to be back on the ride.

What did I learn from this flat? –
(1)Do not disassemble the winter ride until you are confident the summer ride is in good condition.
(2)Do not start the season at such girth
(3)Ride toward the center of the lane until the street sweeper comes through.

So, I have to serve out this seven-day sentence as the sun shines and the temperature rises. Fortunately, I will be back on top again for a long season, goal 2500 miles before the end of September. This is the greatest time of the year, happy biking everyone.

The change of season is upon the people of the upper Midwest, and I could not be happier. This happiness is not due to a dislike of the cold darkness of winter or the fact the I change my clothes 1000 times daily when I commute through the snow. Rather it is rooted in what winter has become in Minnesota in recent years. The winters full of snow days and obscene wind chills have yielded to a season that produces 50 degree rainy Wednesdays in mid January followed by below freezing March snow storms. This behavior is simply not acceptable.

Fortunately, the sun is now on our side here at the 45th parallel. The temps are rising and the snow is retreating into the storm sewers and I have replaced the winter beater for the summer chugger. This traditional changing of the guard is a bit sad this year. For after 10 years of commendable service the Rock Hopper A1 has to retire. I wish this was not the case but due to the repair needs and the growing corrosion issue, it is more cost effective to invest in a new ride. Plus, motorwife has declared that she will no longer hold that title if I insist on riding a bicycle that is held together with more electrical tape than aluminum. So, however reluctant, the choice was relativity easy to decide.

As I deconstruct my faithful transporter, I think of all the great miles it has traveled. I remember a trip to see my grandfather weeks before his passing shortly after I purchased it to take advantage of some near by single tracks. He was not impressed with it. He was an auto mechanic from Norway and felt that I need way too many tools to keep it in tune. His bikes from his youth required two, a wrench and a screwdriver, he told me. Thank goodness for the multi-tool.

I remember taking it, knobby tires and all, on 80-plus-mile road trip with a couple of my roadie friends. The ride there was relatively effortless, but on the return trip I realized that’s what a 25 mile-an-hour tailwind will do. It was this trip where I realized the true benefit of the smooth tired road bikes. Later that summer, I was atop one of my own.

I remember one of my first party-story-worthy crashes. At the time I was working downtown and would race the length of a landmark Minneapolis street each evening tiring to beat every light and all the traffic traveling along with me. This is back in my reckless, I have nothing to lose days. During these daily races transit buses seemed to be able to pass me mid-block just in time to pull to the corner right in front of, obstructing my travel (Come to think of it that continues to happen). My response to this move in some areas was to jump onto the sidewalk to avoid the bus. One evening, after successfully completing this move many times, a car appeared from between two buildings onto the sidewalk directly in my path. I hit the brakes with to no avail and went flying across the hood (My first air travel). The glorious moment was when I came to rest on the sidewalk on the other side of the vehicle on my feet, unharmed. The driver jumped out, “How did you do that?” I responded, “I don’t know.” No damage do to either vehicle and no interest from either party to discuss matters further we part ways. Suffice it to say I learned something that day. Also, I noticed a sign installed shortly after the event warning of the crossing. I am not sure if I had anything to do with it, but I tell everyone that my stupidity probably did.

And, I will never forget the countless rides through 8 to 10 inches of fresh snow. Working 8 to 10 times harder and slower to arrive at my destination. The look of befuddlement from my colleagues on why anyone would want to do that made it worth the effort. This is one of the most rewarding part of the winter ride, in addition to beating cabin fever, relieving stress, not putting on 100 pounds, the environment and so on. But, being the craziest in your office, school, or your peer groups is really why we do it. Right?

Well, it was a great ride for a good number of years. I will keep the frame and if I come into some money and there is a cure for corrosion, I will rebuild. It is great however to ride a bike with reliable brakes and a derailleur.

Long live spring!